Step 1:

Macadamia vanilla cake

3 eggs
½ tsp salt
200g caster sugar
180g olive oil
150g buttermilk
2½ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp Heilala vanilla paste
1 lemon, zested and juiced
200g flour
50g macadamia flakes
(or use ground almonds or other nuts)

Oven 170°C Fan Bake. Then line the base and sides of a Swiss roll tin (approx. 20 x30cm) with baking paper.
Whisk the eggs and salt on medium speed until foamy, this will take about 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time, counting to five between additions, then once half has been added you can slowly pour in the rest. Beat for 5-6 minutes until you can form a figure 8 on top of the eggs without it collapsing.
Whisk the olive oil, buttermilk, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Fold this into the eggs.
Mix the flour, nuts and baking powder together with a whisk and fold in.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. After 20 minutes, insert a skewer for 1 second and check to make sure there’s no uncooked batter – it should come out clean.
Cool in the tin before removing and inverting on a cake rack as the cake is fairly light.
Cut into the shapes you want, in this case 7-9 cm rounds. Because you’ll be covering the cake with puree and ice cream, and the meringue, you can actually patch the offcuts together and have very little wastage.

Step 2:

Apple honey puree

2 tbsp honey
2 apples – any variety but I’d suggest the slightly sour Granny Smith
1 pinch flaky salt

Peel the apples, quarter them and remove the seeds, slice 1cm thick.
Place in a small saucepan with the honey and 3 tbsp water and gently bring to a boil stirring as it heats up.
Put a lid on and cook over medium heat until the apple slices are soft and most of the water has evaporated, stir from time to time.
Puree in a small blender, or pass through a sieve then mix in the salt while still warm.

Step 3:

Italian meringue

The ratio of sugar to egg whites should be two to one. Eggs vary in size so weigh your egg whites and then adjust your sugar to be double the weight of your egg whites.

To make the meringue, you will need to carefully pour a boiling sugar syrup at 121°C onto beating egg whites, so please be careful.

A sugar thermometer is very helpful here but if you don’t have one you can test it the old-fashioned way. Put two cups of cold waterand two ice cubes in a small bowl and place it near the syrup pan. Once the syrup has been boiling for two minutes, carefully take a ¼ teaspoon out and drop into the water. If the syrup sets and holds together in a firm shape that’s still a little pliable, it is the right temperature to pour over your beating egg whites. If it is too soft then cook a little longer and test again until it holds its shape.

280g caster sugar
100ml water
4 Medium egg whites

Place the water in a small pan then sprinkle the sugar on top and slowly bring to the boil – gently swirling the pan on the hob rather than stirring it
Once it comes to the boil turn the heat up and cook to 121°C on a sugar thermometer
Meanwhile, while the syrup is boiling, start whisking the egg whites in a cake mixer at ¾ speed until foamy and medium stiffness – if that happens quickly you can turn it off while the syrup continues to boil
Once the syrup reaches 121°C, carefully pour it onto the beating egg whites, between the whisk and the side of the bowl rather than straight onto the whisk as it will stick to the whisk and not become incorporated
Once it’s all been added, beat at full speed for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is your body temperature – touch the side of the bowl and it should no longer feel warm
Fill your piping bag – which you can also store in the freezer to use another day

Assembly

1x 1L Tub Kāpiti Passionfruit and Kamahi Honey Ice Cream.

Take each of the rounds of cake one by one and place directly onto a plate or a board. Add a spoonful of the apple puree, and then nestle on a scoop of Kāpiti Passionfruit and Kāmahi Honey ice cream.
Using the piping bag, start at the bottom touching the cake and pipe lines of meringue from bottom to top until you have covered the entire ice cream scoop.
Once you have assembled all of your mini Alaskas, torch the meringue but be careful not to burn it. You’ll need a cook’s blowtorch or alternatively you can grill on the middle shelf in your oven. Don’t take your eyes off them as they will burn quickly.